


well shit, i'm in love with a human

by brightclam



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending Eventually I Swear, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Polyamory, and nonbinary people, and polyamorous people, aragon and legolas become friends, arwen and legolas are friends, arwen and legolas both fall in love with aragon and are just like oh shit, chapters in chronological order, either i have my priorities in the very right or very wrong place, headcanon their specific gender as anything in the nonbinary range you want, how do I have them straddling each other already and yet its not at all sexual, how legolas falls in love with aragon, humans are not, i havent read the books so im making this up please dont kill me, legolas and arwen are nonbinary, legolas falling for aragon is nonstop agonized screaming, legolas falling for arwen is sweet, legolas in a dress because he likes dresses, legolas looks serene but hes really just waiting for aragon to loose him on someone, legolas still uses he/him and arwen still uses she/her, legolas's life story: he fucks up, legolas's mood is always let's go bitch, medieval sjw aragon, my ideas of elf culture, nonbinary elves, sensitive elf ears but not used in a sexual way, they're fine with queer people, weird magic shit based off of the evenstar stuff, what a better way to make friends than by fighting them?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-19 14:49:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9446141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightclam/pseuds/brightclam
Summary: Legolas resists falling in love with Aragorn, Arwen doesn't. They both fall in love with him anyways, and so begins a long and difficult journey of misunderstandings that could have been avoided if human society wasn't so shitty.[UNFINISHED AND ABANDONED]





	1. The horror of humans

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing here.
> 
> just to be clear, this story is chock full of my bs headcanons. This includes: Elves dislike light instead of darkness because it fucks with their intense senses.  
> Also,  
> Elves are not only okay with nonbinary people but they have a whole lot of them. Most elves are nonbinary, and often shift from gender to gender with time. As such, I had to make up elven vocabulary for nonbinary:  
> Gonom=nonbinary  
> Princom=nonbinary version of prince/princess

They're taught about the humans, although the lessons are more like horror stories.

The humans are an impulsive race, strong, but shortsighted and short lived. They have great potential, as their wizards and kings show, but entangle themselves in rules and thus stifle themselves.

His teachers speak in hushed tones of the rules: that men may not love other men, nor women love other women. That there are only women and men to them, their society empty of the gonom in their multitudes. That humans may only love one person at a time, that to love more than one is an unforgivable sin.

Legolas looks down on them with disdain; after all, if humans do not have enough love in their hearts for more than one person, he doesn't want to understand them.

But the tales that young elves are told, the warning that parents whisper when the sun is at its brightest and their senses burn with the light, terrify him.

They whisper that sometimes elves fall for humans, that they doom themselves willingly to a life of lovelessness. They love a human who will never love them back, and trail after them, desperate for their attention, until that human has perished and their hearts are irreparably broken. 

He knows that humans fall for elves; he sees them in the taverns at the edges of human land, hiding as far away from their kind so that they will not be hunted.

The more fortunate ones he sees on the arms or laps of elves, smiling and glowing with love.

When he sees those humans; he sees that beauty that they should not be able to possess and yet they burn with it. He begins to understand how an elf could fall for a human. 

When he begins to understand, he begins to fear.


	2. why Legolas leaves Mirkwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas leaves his home, setting the stage for his introduction to Arwen and Aragon.
> 
> Also, more of my elf culture bs!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That weird magic shit I mentioned in the tags? Here it is, folks! 
> 
> (reminder: princom=nonbinary version of prince/princes)

His father sends him away when he begins to sicken. Elvish princes and princesses and princoms are linked to their lands; their parents are immune so that they may rule without their body failing. But the children of the rulers are a symbol; they're as healthy as their realm is. 

Perhaps that is why elves have no evil rulers; misrule results in the suffering and death of their children.

It’s an honor, really. Those linked to the land are more powerful in magic than most, and they always seem to be destined for greatness. Legolas loves that he can feel his home pulsing through him: the wind blowing through the trees and the river flowing across the rocks, a constant comfort.

But then the spiders come.

Thranduil sees his pale skin and brittle hair and dull eyes; Thranduil sees the shadows upon the earth and the webs on the trees and the spiders in the dark. 

Thranduil sends Legolas away because the realm living a half life, and he cannot renew it. But Legolas’s connection is weaker the farther away he is, and so he may live a healthy life as long as he abandons everything he has ever known.

Legolas takes the bow, the knives and the clothes from his room. He takes the kiss his father presses to his forehead. He takes the gentle hand Tauriel offers. He takes the cheers of his people as he rides to the edge of the woods. He takes the new name that reminds him of home: Greenleaf.

But most of all, he takes the stories of the horrors of humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these chapters are short, I know, but i'm trying to split them up by when they happen. They'll get longer soon!


	3. love at first fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas meets Aragon. It doesn't go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They meet at last! 
> 
> My legolas may seem ooc, but I think right now he's more like he was in the hobbit movie: angry and aggressive.

He goes to Elrond’s realm. There, his ears are filled with the rushing of water and the scraping off hooves on rock instead of the rattle of dead branches and the hissing of spiders. His horse runs free with the rivendell herd.

 

He wanders the halls, admiring the architecture and reading their books. 

 

But he quickly grows homesick and bored. 

 

His only relief from tedium is Arwen. She is the princess of the realm, and she shines with health. Legolas himself is still dimmer than an elf should be, but at least he doesn't collapse anymore. 

 

She is kind and quiet, happy to teach him the spells she knows or take him riding down the river. She shows him her favorite waterfall, and he gets them lost in a cave filled with glowing moss. She laughs as they wander through the tunnels, her face brilliant in the bioluminescence.

 

She takes him to a royal dinner and loans him a beautiful dress. He’s so distracted by fiddling with the soft fabric that he doesn't manage to hold a conversation with the polite elf next to him.

 

She becomes a good friend, and she reminds him of Tauriel.

 

On the twelfth day of his stay, a horse comes thundering into the hall he sits in. It's ground level, filled with small gardens and benches. The thunder of hooves reaches him, but he's immersed in the tapestry he's translating. Only when it grows dangerously loud does he take notice. 

 

A black horse, covered in mud, tears around the corner. Mud sprays from its hindquarters, spattering across the white walls. The rider on its back is equally dirty and haggard, their clothes ripped and mud soaked. There is a short sword in their hand and a gleam in their eye as they tear past. 

 

Legolas’s astonishment doesn't give him pause, he tears after the horse. The rider wears elven clothes, but to come into these halls with a naked weapon does not bode well.

 

Legolas runs as quickly as he can, but the rider spurs his horse forwards faster than Legolas can match. Elves scatter from it’s path, throwing themselves against the walls.

 

Too quickly, the horse approaches Elrond’s court. The door are open, as usual. Fear fills Legolas; he can't catch the rider and the guards haven't come to help yet. 

 

The horse thunders through the doors and into the court and the rider pulls it to a stop, brandishing his sword.

 

He begins to shout: “lord Elrond!” But Legolas sees an opportunity and takes it. He leaps at the stranger, knocking him bodily off the horse. 

 

He can hear shouting around them but he's busy wrestling the riders sword arm so that the rider doesn't impale Legolas when they hit the ground.

 

The stranger hits the floor first, his breath forced out of him with a whoosh. Legolas pins his sword arm to the ground and straddles him, keeping the stranger’s powerful torso pinned to the ground. He looks away from his enemy to speak the court, which proves to be a fatal mistake.

 

The stranger thrashes, arching his body like an eel. Legolas is unprepared and gets knocked to the side. In a blur of movement, the rider reverses their positions: he straddles Legolas, legs braced on either side of Legolas's torso, and pins his arms above his head. 

 

He hears Elrond begin to speak but his vision is red and his mind is empty of all but rage. He spits at the person holding him down and screams a curse.

 

The stranger looks surprised, but quickly calms. Then, he slams a hand into the side of Legolas's head. 

 

Legolas howls and his body contorts even though he's pinned. The stranger obviously knows what he's doing: it was a precise strike on the delicate curve of Legolas’s ear.

 

Elrond suddenly roars:

 

“Estel!”

 

The mud covered rider huffs. Legolas prepares to be hit again, perhaps this time with the sword.

 

Instead, the rider rolls off of him and gracefully rises to his feet.

 

Legolas lunges up after them, ready to attack again. Elrond fixes him with a glare and Legolas freezes. 

 

“Estel. Welcome home.”

 

The rider bows to Elrond. Legolas gapes in horror. 

 

“Although your entrance was perhaps too spectacular, you seem to have to alarmed our guest.”

 

Elrond gestures to Legolas and he feels his face flush with embarrassment. He seems to have misread the situation completely.

 

The rider smirks, and bows deeply to Legolas.

 

Legolas has enough manners trained into him to bow back before he flees from the room.

 

As he runs to the stables, an image flashes in his mind: the rider, bowing, his hair falling forwards to reveal rounded ears.

 

_ A human. _

  
Legolas grabs his bow and saddles his horse, then thunders out into the quiet of the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that went well. Not.


	4. level heads prevail for once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arwen and Legolas continue to grow closer, and Legolas and Aragon have their first real conversation.

He rides to the spot Arwen showed him. 

 

It's a waterfall, but it's nothing like the rushing rapids of Mirkwood’s river.

 

Here, the water runs deep and calm, swirling in gentle eddies around the smooth rocks.

 

Silver fish dart through the water, sending steel-bright reflections shimmering through the air.

 

His horse chews contently on the grass at the riverside. Legolas tries to relax, but shame still pricks at him.

 

She finds him there, because of course she does. She is not only kind but also keen. She settles beside him and smooths out her skirts. She doesn't speak, just watches the water.

 

The silence quickly becomes stifling. He grits out:

 

“I embarrassed you.”

 

“Not at all. We were quite flattered at your readiness to defend us. Neither of you were hurt; no harm done.”

 

“Why does Elrond welcome a human so gladly?”

 

“He was brought to us an orphan, and we raised him. He has an aptitude for our arts and the skill of an elf. But, he grew restless here. So, Elrond arranged for him to join the rangers, and he now patrols the human lands around our borders. He comes home both to report and to visit.”

 

Legolas picks at the grass next to his knee. 

 

“Should I apologize to him?”

 

“It is not necessary, but it would be pleasant if you did.”

 

She looks at him with hope in her eyes, and while it rankles, he returns home with her, practicing apologies.

 

\-----------------------------------

 

First, he goes to Elrond. He apologizes for his rashness and for attacking a fellow guest in his host’s home. 

 

Elrond waves him off with soft words and a kind twinkle in his dark eyes.

 

He too says that no harm was done and that all Legolas needs to do is apologize to the rider. Legolas’s embarrassment only grows when faced with the kindness of the rivendell elves.

 

But he does go to apologize to the rider, whose name he has learned is Estel. He goes to his room, but his knocks aren't answered. He goes to the armory and the stables, both places where he would imagine a ranger being, but finds nothing.

 

He eventually resorts to wandering through the halls aimlessly. It's not an unpleasant way to spend a day: there are many beautiful rooms he hasn't visited before.

 

He's walking out of a dark, dusty library when he runs into the ranger. The man leans against the doorway, dark clothes blending into the unlit hall. When he smiles, his teeth glint a harsh contrast against the shadows.

 

Legolas startles but recovers quickly and bows. The ranger returns the greeting, never losing the lazy half smile. 

 

“Legolas.”

 

His voice is smooth and calm. He exudes confidence, bordering upon arrogance, but also the deadly air of a man with skill. Judging by the smirk and the casual lean, Legolas assumes this apology is going to be more painful than he originally expected. 

 

But he promised Arwen, so he forges ahead. He bows his head and speaks his piece. 

 

“I have come to apologize, ranger Estel. I made a rash assumption and attacked you without reason.” 

 

The ranger shifts so he's standing up straight, so that he's slightly taller than Legolas, and crosses his arms over his chest.

 

“I'm prepared to accept your apology on one condition.” He drawls.

 

Legolas bristles, he dislikes being beholden to anyone, but least of all a human. Trepidation stirs in his stomach, but he pushes it down.

 

“Very well.” He concedes.

 

“Spar with me.”

 

Legolas looks up in confusion, but the man's face in completely sure. 

 

_ I do not understand why he would request this, but it is easier than other tasks he could have picked. _

 

“ I will gladly spar with you, ranger Estel.”

 

“Well then I accept your apology.”

 

The ranger extends his hand in what Legolas recognizes as a human gesture of sealing a deal. He takes the man’s hand and shakes gently.

  
The ranger grins at him and begins to walk away, calling over his shoulder: “Meet me in the back court tomorrow morning!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate in fiction how characters who've messed up and embarrassed themselves can't get over it and apologize. This fic is probs going to have all your usual drama tropes except people actually communicate and things work out well.


	5. Aragon is late and elves are chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring Arwen and Legolas's relationship a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this feels a little bit like filler but next chapter will have lots of action!

 

Legolas arrives as dawn begins to spread across the sky. He’s brought a light breakfast of fruit and bread, and there's enough to share. He's been watching the sunrise for a few minutes, munching on an apple, when Arwen melts out of the shadows.

 

As she walks toward him, skirts swirling in the slight breeze like ink in water, he wonders how she knew about this. He didn't tell her, so who did she hear it from? 

 

He's not irritated, he will Always welcome arwen, even if she might watch him be defeated by a human. But he is curious about how she seems to know so much. Then again, he father does have foresight, so maybe it's not so surprising.

 

She walks up the steps he's sitting on and bows to him. He inclines his head in return and she sits next to him. He offers her an apple out of his basket. She takes it, and their fingers brush. She smiles at him, a big, toothy grin. She switches the apple into her left hand and grabs his hand with her right.

 

“Tell me, Arwen, do you have foresight?”

 

She looks at him with confusion.

 

“I do not. What makes you think so, Legolas?”

 

Legolas shifts and feels stupid all of a sudden. He shrugs and says:

 

“Well, you always know where to be. Like, how did you find out about this meeting.”

 

Arwen giggles. 

 

“I'm flattered that you think so much of me, but all I did was ask Estel.”

 

Legolas starts. He didn't even think about the possibility of Arwen talking to the ranger.

 

(If he were human, this is where jealousy would come into play, and the story would get even more complicated. Fortunately, he is not human or jealous.)

 

“Do you know him well?”

 

Arwen nods. 

 

“I grew up with him, though my earliest years were empty of him because he is human. But for the amount of my lifespan he has lived, I have been very close to him.”

 

Legolas hums, thinking through the complicated webs of relationships that humans have. What would make Arwen the happiest? Befriending Estel? Or would that irritate the ranger?

 

“ Is he angry at me? I would like to attempt a friendship, but I do not know if it would be proper, considering the first impression I made.”

 

“He's not angry, if anything he seemed impressed by your attacking him.”

 

Legolas grins and pulls more food out of his basket, setting up a spread for her, and the ranger if he wishes.

 

“Well then, I'll do my best to befriend him.”

 

\----------------------------------

 

Aragon does not hold grudges; he knows it is common amongst humans, but he was raised amongst elves. He isn't angry at Legolas, he's curious. As much as he loves his Rivendell family, their serenity get boring sometimes. So, this elf, aggressive and angry, intrigues him. 

 

He acts differently from the Rivendell elves, and dresses differently, more warlike. He wears armor, interlocking triangles tipped with spikes, like snake scales. When Aragon met him in the abandoned library, he had a bow strapped to his back. 

 

Aragon is curious about the elf, who Elrond says is the prince of Mirkwood. He wonders why the prince would be in Rivendell instead of his own realm, but Elrond refused to speak on that subject.

 

Aragon pulls himself out of the sheets and sits on the edge of the bed. Despite living with elves all his life, he has never gotten used to waking up early. He knows that they get lethargic during midday, so he's forced himself to wake when the sun is still reasonably low. 

 

The back court is shaded by tall walls and trees anyways, so hopefully Legolas won't be angry at his lateness. He dresses quickly, buckling his long sword around his waist. He steps out of his room, still wiping sleep from his eyes, and heads towards the back court.

 

\----------------------------

 

Legolas and Arwen have been waiting for hours when Estel arrives. They aren't irritated; they have nowhere else to be and are enjoying the shaded court. They ate all the food except for a small amount they agreed to leave for Estel. 

 

They climbed the trees at the edge of the court for the first hour, crawling from branch to branch and greeting the songbirds perched there. Once they had tired themselves out, they had climbed back down and lain down in the soft grass. Arwen is telling him stories as he braids her hair.

 

They hear Estel coming before they see him; Arwen perks up, her more sensitive ears warning her before Legolas. She sits up to greet the human striding into the court. He's dressed in simple, soft clothing, a sword belted at his waist. 

 

He greets Arwen fondly, pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the cheek. Arwen pulls him towards Legolas, and the ranger bows politely. Legolas bows back and then gestures at the gleaming sword handle at the man's waist.

 

“Are you planning for us to spar with weapons, ranger Estel?” 

 

“That's the end goal, but first I think I'd like to fight hand to hand first. Is that alright with you?”

 

Legolas is strongly reminded of his defeat and embarrassment yesterday, but it would be dangerous to attack each other with weapons before getting a grip on each other’s fighting styles.

 

He nods an affirmative and pulls his double dagger sheath off of his back. He hands it to Arwen, who also takes Estel's sword. She heads back to the storm steps where the basket sits. She sets down the weapons and sit on the top step, where she can see them best.

 

Estel gestures towards the circle of sparse grass and dry dirt in the middle of court, worn down by many sparring warriors. Legolas walks beside him to the circle, then faces him and drops into a fighting stance.

  
“Shall we?”


	6. somehow, trying to kill each other builds friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas and Aragon spar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legolas calls Aragon "Ranger Estel" because ranger is a title and he's being polite.

 

Legolas considers Estel, then throws his leg out in a kick. He aims for his chest, kicking at half strength, as not to hurt him. After all, he is a man, lacking an elf’s senses and reaction time.

 

As Estel ducks under the kick and charges forwards, Legolas realizes he's made another mistake. He's underestimated the ranger  _ again. _

 

_ Legolas was trained in the forest, jumping from branch to branch and making his way across treacherous rockfalls. He’s used to open space, and his fighting style shows it. He fights in large, swinging movements, often dancing around his opponent with complicated footwork. Most elves fight in a more open style; though Rivendell elves are more contained than mirkwood elves. _

 

_ It appears humans fight very differently. _

 

Estel gets inside of Legolas’s guard and punches him in the face. The uppercut leaves his head ringing and his vision whited out. His grits his jaw and waits for the pain to finish working its way through his skull. 

 

The slight swish of fabric to his right reminds him he’s still in a fight. He jumps back, feet landing sure and steady on the uneven ground, even though his eyes are still useless. He must have dodged far enough away, as he isn't hit again.

 

His vision begins to return, but not fast enough. He hears the thud of a foot hitting the ground and tries to spin away from it. Instead of avoiding a punch, he unbalances himself, and when Estel plows into him, he goes down easily. 

 

Finally, he can see again, but the world is spinning as he falls. He hits the ground, grass cushioning the impact only slightly. Pain sparks in his back, then in his front, as Estel lands on top of him. Legolas thrusts his arms forwards and manages to latch onto Estel’s shoulders. He’s just beginning to push him off when he gets elbowed in the side.

 

He yells and curls away from the blow, still keeping his grip on the ranger. He throws him to the side, hearing him groan as he hits the dirt as well. Legolas is shoving himself up, ready to regain his feet and end this with a swift kick, when Estel’s arms lock around him. 

 

One wraps around his shoulders, the other over his stomach. It looks more than an embrace than an attack, so he just continues pushing himself up. He doesn't expect the human to be strong enough to stop him. His rise is stopped with a jerk and suddenly he hits the ground again.

 

Somehow, the ranger leveraged him back to the ground, and to the side slightly. Legolas hisses and throws an arm out, hoping to hit the man behind him. Instead, a leg is thrown over him, then locks into place. Legolas yells, half confusion, half alarm. He throws his body up, trying to knock the leg off. He doesn't get anywhere, and suddenly there's an arm twining around his neck. 

 

He doesn't notice it in time and thrashes again. His vulnerable neck slams against the arm locked around his throats and he chokes. He goes still, and Estel takes the opportunity to plant his other hand on the back of legolas’s neck. 

 

He begins applying just enough pressure to push Legolas’s throat into the restraining arm. Legolas gags, but refuses to admit defeat. He thrashes again, this time side to side, instead of up and down, trying to avoid choking himself more.

 

His forward motion is stopped by the leg braced over him, and behind him is Estel’s bulk. He's caged in by the ranger’s body as well as his limbs. 

 

His struggling doesn't go unnoticed. Estel tightens his arm suddenly, cutting off Legolas's air. He chokes and gasps for a moment, until the arm loosens again. As he struggles to breathe, Estel presses their heads closer together and speaks into his ear.

 

“I think you’d better admit defeat now.”

 

Legolas sighs, but lets his body relax. 

 

“Very well. You've defeated me, ranger Estel.”

 

The pressure on his throat disappears. The ranger retracts his leg as well, and stands up, brushing dirt from his tunic. 

 

Legolas sits up and runs at his neck. It’s sore, and it'll probably bruise.

 

Arwen claps from her perch. Estel bows to her, then turns back to Legolas and offers him a hand. He pulls Legolas to his feet and smiles brightly at him.

 

Legolas, still confused by the way Estel managed to pin him, can't help but asking:

 

“ I thought you were trained here in Rivendell. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

 

“Get in enough bar fights with humans and you learn that being close in is vital. Humans like to fight dirty, I learned their tricks and added them to my elvish training.”

 

Legolas nods, impressed. Estel picks up his sheath and pulls out the long sword, sending light dancing across the grassy ground. 

 

“Ready for weapons, Legolas?”

 

Perhaps it would be safer to wait, but Legolas is much better with his daggers than with his hands. He wants to defeat the ranger, and it doesn't seem like that's going to happen without his weapons.

 

Legolas grabs his daggers with contained glee. They remind him of home, and he knows he's deadly with them. 

 

He swings them in a small circle, flicking his wrists expertly. Across the circle from him, Estel holds his sword straight in front of him, body melding with the weapon as if he was born with it.

 

They nod in readiness, then turn to Arwen for the starting signal. She lets out the two tone cry of a phoebe and Legolas leaps forwards. 

 

Estel's weapon had a much longer reach, Legolas need to be quick and get in close. 

 

His leap takes him inside the ranger’s guard, but before he can strike, Estel is pulling his sword towards himself. It’s a gutsy move, bringing your weapon towards yourself always had some risk involved, but it works.

 

Legolas has the choice of being hit or of moving. He could duck under the blade, but then he would lose his advantage. Instead, he leaps forwards again, smashing into Estel and making him stumble.

 

Reflexively, the ranger stops his sword; Legolas can feel it just barely hit his shoulder armor. As Estel is falling, Legolas spins away, the force knocking Estel’s sword wide. His armor keeps the blade from cutting into him.

 

The ranger doesn't fall completely, he lands on one knee. Legolas swipes one blade towards his chest in an arc, the other dagger following in a couple seconds. The kneeling man stops the strike by quickly pulling up his sword to horizontal.

 

The silver daggers hit and slide against the longsword. Estel lunges up from his knees, using the force to send their blades squealing against each other. Legolas is knocked back, but stays on his feet.

 

He leaps back again, giving himself space. Estel takes the opportunity, stepping forwards and swinging his sword downwards in a powerful overhead strike. 

 

It's not quite aimed at his head, but Legolas doesn't want to learn what having his shoulder separated from his body would feel like. He darts to the side, the sword swishing through empty air behind him. He runs a quick half circle around the ranger, until he's behind him.

 

Estel begins to spin around but it's already too late. Legolas kicks him in the back, knocking him forwards, and before he can recover, there's a dagger at his throat.

 

The ranger freezes. Legolas is smirking, proud of finally winning against Estel.

 

“I surrender.”

 

Legolas lets him go and resheathes the daggers. Estel turns to look at him, adrenaline and exhilaration on his face. 

 

“You’re amazing with those daggers, Legolas.”

 

“You fought well, ranger Estel.”

 

“Please, just call me Estel.”

 

They bow to each other, and Arwen comes over to give Estel his sheath. The ranger slides the sword into the sheath and rebuckles it around his waist. 

 

“I quite enjoyed this, Legolas. If you'd like to continue sparring, just for fun, let me know.”

 

Legolas smiles a gentle, winning smile. 

 

“I'd love to, Estel.”

 

Arwen walks Estel out of the court and returns to Legolas beaming with pride. She helps him pack the basket with the leftover food and eventually comments:

 

‘I think that went well.”

 

‘I think so too. He’s quite pleasant to be around, now that I don’t think he’s attacking Rivendell.”

  
She laughs, deep and full, and offers him her arm. He takes it, and the basket, and together they leave the court.


	7. uh oh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas discovers a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

Legolas is a young elf. It’s not unusual for him to have dreams; after all, his body is flooded with hormones at the moment.

 

It's not something to be ashamed of. The dreams don't have to have meaning; often your brain just picks an attractive person at random.

 

He's had random rivendell elves show up before: a gonom he passed in the hall, a man he sat next to for dinner one night, a woman he met in the woods. It’s not a big deal.

 

He's even dreamt about Arwen before. It's not surprising; she is beautiful and he loves her. 

 

Whether that love will continue as platonic, romantic, sexual, or a mix, will simply have to be worked out. As long as he doesn't ascribe too much significance to the dream, it'll be fine.

 

But last night there had been two dark haired people in his dream. The tangle of limbs was as beautiful as ever, but the kisses on his neck were off: soft stubble accompanied the lips. 

 

Elves don't have stubble.

 

He felt Estel's lean body against him, familiar from their sparring, and stares into his shining eyes.

 

_ They whisper that sometimes elves fall for humans, that they doom themselves willingly to a life of lovelessness.  _

 

Estel smiles at him and reaches out to Legolas. 

 

_ They love a human who will never love them back, and trail after them, desperate for their attention, until that human has perished and their hearts are irreparably broken.  _

  
He takes Estel's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify: so far, Legolas just wants to befriend Aragon and now hes discovered he's attracted to him. There's still a ways to go until we reach love, and legolas is gonna be dragged into it kicking and screaming because he's been trained to fear falling for humans.


	8. Arwen discovers something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas, Arwen, and Estel bond. Also, there's a dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is partially because I wanted to write some more fluff and partially because I wanted to develop the relationships more before the real plot got started.

Legolas and Arwen agreed to meet in the kitchen. He's still unbalanced by the dream, but he's pushed the lingering sense of shame aside and gone to meet Arwen. 

He's wearing the only skirt he owns; it was his mother’s before him. It's light blue, like the froth of Mirkwood’s river. It's long and heavy, made up of a lot of fabric and with delicate ruffles along the bottom.

The fabric swishes comfortingly around his ankles. He likes to wear it when he's upset; both because of the connection to his mother and because of it’s beauty.

When he arrives at the kitchen, he laughs, startling Arwen as he enters. It seems they've switched presentation today: Legolas wearing the flowing, feminine skirt and Arwen dressed in a short, masculine tunic over a tight pair of hunting pants.

He takes her hand and leads her to the pantry. Legolas is good at cooking, Arwen is not, but they both enjoy it nonetheless. They're picking through piles of vegetables when they hear the tumult outside. 

Drawn by the yelling and crashing of metal, they leave the pantry. A cook stumbles, as much as eternally graceful elves stumble, through the door from the main kitchen. Before Arwen can ask them what's going on, a second shape darts through the door.

This one is low to the ground and a dark, furry brown. The dog leaps through the door, a bone clasped in its mouth. A second dark shape follows it, turning out to be Estel. He's half armored, wearing only his breastplate and his bracers. 

He yells as he comes through the door, a wordless noise of frustration. He’s panting as if he’s been running hard.

His eyes hone in on the dog, which has found itself backed into a corner. 

The cook curses and dives out of the way as Estel leaps at the dog. It skitters, but it doesn't have anywhere to go. It yelps when he grabs it, dropping the bone.

“I got you, you mangy mutt!”

Legolas is concerned, for a moment, that Estel is going to hurt the dog. His fears are quickly wiped away When Estel begin affectionately ruffling the dog’s fur.

It pants happily as he scratches it behind the ears.

Arwen steps forwards, ignoring the grumbling cook behind them.

“Who's this, Estel?”

Estel looks up and smiles, a real smile, not a smirk. It’s a beautiful look on him and Legolas feels his heart beat a bit faster.

The dog focuses on Arwen as well, ears pointed forwards and eyes bright.

“This is Aes. I found him out in the woods, living on his own. I gave him some food, befriended him, and brought him home with me.”

“May I pet him?”

“Of course!”

Arwen sits down, already reaching towards the soft fur. Aes doesn't wait for her to start petting him; he throws himself into her lap, enthusiastically sniffing her face and wagging his tail.

She giggles and holds him closer, unconcerned by the slobber he’s coating her in.

Aragon pats him affectionately on his wagging butt and scolds him.

“Be nice, Aes. No jumping on people.”

He turns to look at the bone Aes had been carrying and laughs.

“He’s quite the little troublemaker. I let him out of my room so that we could go on a walk. He decided he didn't want to wait for me and went tearing off. I chased him, but didn't manage to catch him before he burst in here and stole that bone. I hope he didn't disturb you two?”

Arwen is too busy to answer, and Estel’s looking at Legolas anyways.

“Um, no! We weren't bothered, just curious about what was going on.”

Estel smiles, relieved.

“Okay, I'm glad he didn’t mess anything up. What were you guys doing in here anyways?”

Legolas did not expect to be having a conversation with Estel today. He blushes, remembering what he dreamed last night. 

“We’re going to make lunch. We were just pulling supplies out of the pantry when Aes came in.”

Arwen surfaces from the storm of happy dog and offers:

“Would you like to join us, Estel? Legolas is a wonder at cooking, I'm sure he be willing to make enough for three?”

Willing to make food for three, yes. Happy about being near Estel for the rest of the day? Maybe not so much.

“I’d be happy to.”

Arwen finally pushes Aes off of her and stands up. She looks at Legolas suspiciously for a moment, having noticed his hesitation. But she brushes it off and pushes Aragon towards the pantry, Aes trotting at her heels.

Legolas squats down and clicks to get the dog’s attention. His ears perk up and he turns back to Legolas. A moment later, Legolas has a chest full of dog and a soft pink tongue lapping at his face. He giggles and buries his hands in the dog’s tangled fur.

It’s definitely not a breed he recognizes; it’s muzzle too short and ears too big to be a purebred. It’s missing chunks of fur along its flank, and there’s a bite shaped scar on it’s throat.

All in all, it’s a ragged looking creature, grinning lopsidedly up at Legolas. The thought of Estel riding through the forest and running into a wild, aggressive dog, only to be nice to it and eventually give it a safe home…

Estel is turning out to not be a terrible person, but a truly wonderful one instead.

That’s not good; there’s something soft curling in his stomach, settling in next to the lust stuck there after the dream.

Legolas sighs and stands up, patting Aes one last time before entering the pantry. Inside, Arwen is smirking mischievously as she stacks vegetables into a bewildered Estel’s arms. 

She waves a carrot at Legolas scoldingly. 

“What, you think you’re going to get away with not helping?”

Legolas grins and joins her in gathering supplies.

\--------------------------

Arwen has enlisted Estel to help her cut and peel the vegetables. Legolas stands by the fire, dumping spices into the pot. 

Arwen calls out:

“The carrots are ready, Legolas!”

“Okay, bring them over.”

Someone slides in behind him and dumps a cutting board’s worth of carrots into the pot. He turns around to thank Arwen, only to come face to face with Aragon. He’s doesn't jump in surprise because any such reactions had been meticulously trained out of him but holy fuck.

He may or may not yelp quietly.

Aragon raises an eyebrow and looks like he’s trying not to laugh. 

“You okay there, Legolas?”

Legolas tries not to think about how close their faces are and nods nervously. 

Aragon stare at him for another long moment and then turns away.

Legolas curses himself and hopes he’s not blushing too obviously.

Arwen, over a pile of peeled vegetables, watches Legolas very closely.

\-------------------

Legolas ladles the finished soup into three wooden bowls. It’s steaming hot and perfectly spiced. Estel picked a good day to try his cooking; it's probably one of the best soups he's made in a while.

He slides them along the small table until they reach Arwen and Estel. Arwen instantly digs in, surely burning her tongue.

Estel hesitates before taking a bite.

Legolas suddenly loses his confidence. He desperately wants the soup to be good enough for Estel.

He is vaguely aware that he’s acting like an eight year old human with a crush, but doesn't want to think about it.

Estel tries the soup. His eyes go wide and he almost drops the spoon.

Oh no, he doesn't like it.

“How is this so good?!?”

What?

“I watched you make it, I saw you what you used, and somehow it’s amazing! I've made this same recipe on my own and it was terrible! How did you do this, can you teach me?”

“Umm...I can try?”

Arwen pokes Estel in the side teasingly.

“I didn't know you were so enthusiastic about cooking, Estel!”

“Try living off your own shitty cooking for most of your life and you'll be plenty enthusiastic. Us rangers don't get professional cooks with fancy kitchens, you know?”

Arwen considers that, then shrugs.

“Well, you can try learning, but Legolas has been trying to teach me and never gotten anywhere. Last time I almost set myself on fire!”

Estel laughs at her. 

“I should have know miss graceful was bad at something!”

Arwen huffs.

“You're not good at cooking either, you just said so!”

Legolas sits down, sipping at his soup and watching the friendly argument. Aes whines and bumps into his leg, begging for a taste. Legolas sneaks him a piece of carrot and smiles when it dog licks his hand happily.

On the other side of the table, Arwen and Estel have resorted to poking each other. Legolas laughs at them for a moment, then jumps in to join the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll actually get to some romance.


	9. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas and Arwen get together and the plot begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is y'all! I'm a fluff person not a smut person so be aware this is not going to get very steamy.
> 
> (Updates on this story may be slower because my school life just got a lot harder. I will keep adding to it though!)

Estel leaves them the next day. He has to check on one of the villages under his care, as is his ranger duty. 

Legolas and Arwen see him off early in the morning. 

His horse huffs and stomps as he pulls himself onto it’s back, armor clinking. Legolas hands him his sword and Arwen whispers a spell of speed in the horse’s ear, petting its muzzle. 

He grins down at them, eyes bright against the grey sky, and promises to return quickly. 

\-----------------------

It’s full light, when the sun hangs the highest in the sky. They're in a small sitting room filled with pillows and plush couches. The shades are drawn; they're a light orange, sheer fabric. 

The shades dim the incoming light, so that their eyes are still protected, but they aren't left in total darkness.

Even so, her and Legolas are drowsy, lying entangled on a soft red couch. 

The sunlight pours in through the shades, making the room look like it's covered in honey. Her mind feels that way, slow and sweet, but content. She tastes sugar on her tongue and wonders what Legolas would taste like. 

She turns to look at him. His eyes are closed, long lashes glimmering in the light. His hair is streaked with orange, and the planes of his face are harsh with shadows. He looks like a creature of legends: unearthly beautiful but made of fire, dangerous to touch.

She reaches out, cups his cheek with her hand. His eyes open lazily, and the blue shimmers yellow green in the sunlight. He smiles at her, a gentle quirk of his lips. She lets them fall closer together, faces almost touching.

His eyes open fully and he looks at her. He's mapping her face, eyes flitting about.

“I'd like to kiss you.” She coos.

He grins and blushes, his red cheeks even redder in the fiery light. 

“I’d like that.” 

She presses her lips to his, gentle. They kiss, long and slow, and he tastes like strawberries. 

Maybe even, she thinks, a bit like honey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was okay :/ if you think something is ooc or oddly paced, let me know!


	10. A wild plot appears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aragon returns. The main plotline begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while for me to write, but I have the next few chapters planned out so those should be easier.

  


They're lying in bed, chest against chest, when the frantic hoofbeats rouse them. Iron shod hooves against the front court’s cobblestones, fast enough for the horse to be running at full gallop, and not slowing.

  


Arwen is off him and out of the sheets in a flash, pulling a robe on and running to the window. Her urgency is infectious, and Legolas quickly joins her at the window sill.

  


They can see, as well as hear, the horse now. It's tearing towards the great hall, familiar black legs a blur. A rider, dressed in the tattered remnants of elven armor, spurs it forwards even faster.

  


Arwen gasps.

  


“Estel!”

  


They run out of the room side by side, heedless of their half dressed state. They dash through hallways and down stairways until they're in the great hall.

  


Elrond is already there, petting the black horse’s nose and attempting to calm it. It spits foam onto the polished floor and dances nervously. Estel rides out its fearful bobbing, patting it comfortingly on the side.

  


Once the horse has settled down enough for Estel to dismount, the ranger rushes off the horse gracelessly.

  


He lands with a thud, the armor clanking. A sheet of metal falls off, clattering to the floor. He looks terrible, the armor half gone and cracked in places, the fabric underneath dirty and torn. There’s bags under his eyes and his hand shakes on the pommel of his sword.

  


He bows to Elrond, polite even when exhausted. Elrond bows in return and reaches out to the ranger, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  


“Estel, welcome home. But what is wrong? Who has injured you? Where is the danger?”

  


Estel smiles at Elrond, exhausted but relieved.

  


“I was attacked by a group of bandits in my way back, but they are not the real threat. I was checking on a small southern village, Selera, and the people were acting strange. They were shifty, nervous, didn't want to talk to me.

  


I did find one girl who was willing to speak with me. She was afraid, she said, of the newcomers to town. They had set up camp on the outskirts of the village, and people had started to go missing once they had arrived.

  


She wouldn't tell me anything more, just that the strangers scared her and that she wanted help. The people gave me a bad feeling, and I felt that if I tried to investigate on my own, I would be blocked by them. 

  


I have returned to ask for help, I want backup before I investigate.”

  


Elrond nods serenely. 

  


“We will send warriors with you, Estel. I am glad you did not go into a dangerous situation by yourself. But for now, we need to treat your wounds and let your horse rest. Go to the medical wing, I will find some volunteers to go with you while you are treated.”

  


Estel nods gratefully and shuffles off to the medical wing. As soon as he's gone, Arwen charges over to Elrond, the red flaps of her robe flying like war banners.

  


“Father! I will go with Estel to investigate, I can help hide us with my magic.”

  


Elrond smiles at her, affection clear in his eyes. 

  


“Very well, Arwen. Perhaps you should take one more person with you, to watch your back”

  


Arwen spins around and grins at Legolas, bright blue eyes dancing.

  


“Legolas? Will you come with us, please? Your fighting skills would be very useful.”

  


Legolas smiles back, her excitement electrifying him. 

  


“I would be happy to, Arwen.”

  


She bounces in place and cheers:

  


“Thank you!”

  


Then she’s off, darting back towards their room, long hair flying and bare feet drumming against the stone floor.

  


Legolas bows to Elrond and follows her. By the time he reaches their room, she has her saddle bag out and is packing for the trip. She shoves in a ball of clothes, quickly followed by a bag of traveling food, and then cinches it shut.

  


She opens the closet, pulling out a second saddle bag and throwing it to him before turning back to rummage through it.

  


Legolas begins to pack the bag, folding tunics and leggings tightly, a stark contrast to Arwen’s ball of unfolded traveling clothes. He also adds a pair of canteens, a whet stone, and leaf wrapped lembras bread. As he latched the bag shut, Arwen pulls something out of the closet with a sharp clatter of metal.

  


She holds a short sword, gleaming silver, a wicked curve towards the tip. The metal is decorated with elvish letters, an old rivendell dialect that Legolas can't read.

  


She swings it, side to side in a pair of sharp cuts, testing its weight. It's obvious she's wielded it before, and is getting reacquainted with a favored weapon.

  


She pulls out a sheath and puts away the sword, belting it around her waist. Legolas grabs his bow and fills his quiver with as many arrows as will fit. He pulls on the the back sheath for his dagger and throws the bow and quiver over it.

  


He nods his readiness to Arwen, who is impatiently waiting in the doorway, and they set out for the stables.

  


Arwen runs, tripping over her sheath once or twice in her excitement.

  


_ I get the feeling Elrond may keep her cooped up here. He does strike me as the overprotective parent. _

  


She nearly runs over a confused stablehand before barreling into her stallion’s stall. She coos at him and scratches his neck and he dances excitedly, ready to get out of the stable. 

  


She puts his tack on while Legolas walks a couple stalls down to his dapple grey mare. She’s chewing contently, but looks up when he clicks for her attention.

  


The stall next to her has Estel’s horse, looking tired but much better than earlier. He'll probably have to pick a new horse if he wants to leave today, though.

  


The stable’s door swings open again; Elrond glides in, long robes brushing against the straw on the dirt floor. A figure in armor follows him in, turning out to be Estel. Elrond smiles at Arwen, the smile of a proud father, making Legolas’s stomach twist with homesickness.

  


\--- _ Thranduil never smiled as much as Elrond does, but he showed his love in other ways. In the colorful boughs of leaves he brought Legolas from the forest, the books he read to him as Legolas sat on the throne, how he sang the song Legolas wrote as he worked on business. Thranduil had always been regal and cold, but he loved Legolas---- _

  


Legolas is thankful when Estel steps up to speak to him, pulling him out of his sadness. The ranger smiles at him, shining bright in his new set of armor.

  


“Thank you for coming with us, Legolas. Your archery may be vital.”

  


Legolas feels himself smiling back, almost effortlessly. It’s strange, that Estel would be able to make him smile so soon after he remembered his painful situation. 

  


“I will enjoy traveling and fighting alongside you, Estel.”

  


Estel smiles brighter, a cheerful baring of teeth, and claps a hand on legolas’s shoulder. Legolas startles when he does; the touch is strikingly similar to the grasp that mellon nin use, yet not quite. It’s a little too human, too quick, too strong to be the elvish movement. Still, it feels much more momentous to Legolas than it must to Estel, who moves past him to pick a horse for the upcoming journey.

  


Elrond follows him, nodding at Legolas as he passes by him. Arwen throws a saddle over her stallion’s back then quickly mounts. Estel is walking his new horse, a chestnut mare, out of her stall. Legolas shakes off the strange interaction with Estel and goes to his dapple grey.

  


By the time he’s saddled and mounted his mare, Arwen and Estel are riding impatient circles outside of the stables. As Legolas exits to join them, Elrond fastens a pair of saddlebags to his saddle, then gives him an encouraging nod.

  
He trots out to join the waiting pair, and they turn to wave at Elrond one last time. Then, Arwen kicks her mare into a sudden gallop, wooping as she thunders into the woods. Legolas and Estel share an affectionately commiserating look, then speed up to follow her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, I haven't read the books so I have no idea what mellon nin means or even if I'm spelling it right. I saw it meant my love but in the movie aragon says it to a horse so it must not be romantic/sexual love? idk in this story it just means my love in a very broad sense. I also have no idea if the shoulder clasp thing Legolas and Aragon do is special but Aragon does it with that other elf Haldir? so i'm having it mean like a best friend kinda thing.
> 
> (Maybe I should have researched before I wrote lol)

**Author's Note:**

> This is short but I'm working on the second chapter already. Aragon and legolas meet next chapter and it goes...interestingly.


End file.
